California’s Prop 23 Tests the Climate on Climate

On November 2, 2010 the rest of the world will find out what California voters think of climate change and climate change regulation when the state’s voters weigh in on California Proposition 23.

For the climate movement and their opponents, this is the ultimate grudge match. California passed a climate bill, The Global Warming Solutions Act, back in 2006. But critics – backed by the Tea Party’s financial patrons and the oil industry, want to put the law on ice until the California unemployment rate falls to 5.5% and stays there for a full year, something that almost never happens. (To put this in perspective, California’s unemployment rate is currently 12.4%.)

President Obama (and Bill Gates) joined the “No on Prop 23” coalition on Wednesday. White House spokesman Adam Abrams announced that “The president is opposed to Prop. 23 – a veiled attempt by corporate polluters to block progress towards a clean energy economy. If passed, the initiative would stifle innovation, investment in R&D and cost jobs for the state of California. The impacts could affect us all. If successful, corporate special interests will set their sights nationwide.”

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